Fatima Ahmed

Community Collaborator - Health Equity Researcher

Greater Toronto Area, Canada

About

I am a public health expert specializing in health equity, and community-engaged research. My work focuses on understanding how social, environmental, and structural factors shape health and well-being, with particular interests in housing, food systems, land-based wellness, emergency preparedness, and environmental health. Through collaborative partnerships with First Nations communities, health organizations, and policymakers, I use qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory approaches to generate research that is both academically rigorous and relevant to community priorities. My research explores how evidence can be translated into practice and policy to support more equitable and resilient health systems. I am committed to research that centers community knowledge, strengthens local capacity, and contributes to meaningful improvements in health and well-being.

Experience

  • University of Toronto (Contract Full-time · 3 yrs 10 mos)
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
      Apr 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 3 mos

    • Research Associate
      Jul 2023 - Apr 2024 · 10 mos

      • Working for the "Harvest to House" project which aims to develop pathways to housing self-sufficiency in remote First Nations communities.

    • Teaching Assistant
      Sep 2022 - Dec 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

      • Delivered lectures in the Fall 2022 semester (and future Fall 2023 semester) for HLTC24H3: Environment and Health on West Nile virus and Cortisol • Responsible for updating the course, including its associated evaluations and deliverables, for fourth-year undergraduate Environmental Science students.

  • Sessional Lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University
    Sep 2025 - May 2026 · 9 mos

    ENH 325: Housing and the Built Environment (W2026) P0H 705: Health Promotion & Education (F2025)

  • Toronto Metropolitan University (Toronto, Ontario, Canada · Hybrid)
    • Postdoctoral Researcher
      Dec 2023 - Apr 2024 · 5 mos

    • Research Assistant
      Feb 2023 - Nov 2023 · 10 mos

      • Responsible for evaluating public health and control measures through semi-structured interviews with the pandemic committee and other front-line workers in Aamjiwnaang and Fort Albany First Nation. • Conducted 32 interviews, which are being transcribed using NVivo software, and analyzed using a thematic analysis to update the pandemic plans.

  • Guest Lecturer at Self-employed
    Oct 2019 - Feb 2023 · 3 yrs 5 mos

    • Toronto Metropolitan University, Feb 2023: Delivered a presentation on land-based interventions in First Nations communities for ENH 809: Seminars to fourth-year undergraduate students in the Occupational and Public Health and Safety program. • University of Toronto, Sep 2022: Presented on the topic of land-centered interventions in subarctic Canada to undergraduate and graduate students. • University of Toronto Scarborough, Nov 2021: Taught and created an assessment for an online module on Cortisol, Stress and it’s research applications for HLTC24H3: Environment and Health. • University of Waterloo, Sep 2021: Created and presented on the use of photovoice methdology for GEOG 293: Approaches to Research in Human Geography. • University of Toronto Mississagua, Feb 2020: Invited to speak to 2nd-year Research Methods undergraduate students regarding land-centred interventions in Sub-Arctic Canada. • University of Toronto Mississagua, Oct 2019: Lectured on the use of photovoice methdology for a 1st-year PhD Research Methods course. • Turtle Island Journal of Indigenous Health, Sep, 2020: Invited to speak on Indigenous Data sovereignty in Canada and how it pertains to my work in Subarctic communities in Northern Ontario.

  • Teaching Assistant at University of Toronto
    Sep 2021 - Dec 2021 · 4 mos

    • Responsible for grading evaluations for ESTB01H3: Environmental Studies a first-year undergraduate course for Environmental Science students in the Fall 2021 semester.